AAEA is an environmental organization founded in 1985 that is dedicated to protecting the environment, enhancing human, animal and plant ecologies, promoting the efficient use of natural resources, increasing African American participation in the environmental movement and promoting ownership of energy infrastructure and resources. We resolve environmental problems through the application of practical environmental solutions.

Thursday, March 08, 2012

AAEA Presents Testimony at DEC EJ Hearing

AAEA presented a statement on Tuesday before the New York Department of Environmental Conservation at a hearing at the New York Department of Public Service addressing the proposed Article 10 environmental justice regulations.

We
commend the New York State Legislature for passing a new Article 10 law. We
thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for signing the legislation into law.We commend the New York State Department of
Public Service for promulgating Article 10 regulations.We commend theNew York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) and the Office of Environmental Justice (EJ) for
promulgating the Article 10 environmental justice regulations.

AAEA recommends that the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)should replace the one-half mile radius designated
in the proposed regulation as the Impact Study Area to be two (2) miles.Section 487.4: Defining the Impact Study
Area, should be modified to state that: (a) At a minimum, the Impact Study Area
must be the geographic area that is encompassed within a two mile radius around
the proposed location of the facility.We believe the one-half mile area is too small and will limit the
effectiveness of the environmental justice analysis. The expanded impact area
designation is needed in order to include more facilities in the assessment of
whether an area suffers from disproportionate environmental impacts.Although the applicant is given the option of
increasing the Impact Study Area based on site-specific factors, we believe the
regulation should specifically refer to the two mile radius.We also recommend the two mile designation
for the alternate locations.

The Article 10 law allows for, 'A
cumulative impact analysis of air quality within a half-mile of the facility, or other radius as determined by standards
established by Department of Environmental Conservation regulations..."

We are concerned that ozone is not included as
part of the cumulative air impact analysis. Although the other five criteria
pollutants are included, ozone is probably the most important pollutant in
terms of health impacts as related to environmental justice.The proposed regulation states that,
"The procedures identified in 6 NYCRR Part 231 for assessing ozone
precursor emissions will satisfy the requirement of this section for the
cumulative impact analysis." We
disagree.We understand that the
procedure is fine within the context of evaluation under the federal New Source
Review Program, but it does not include a framework for considering
environmental justice.Thus, by
separating out this important pollutant, it could undermine the effectiveness
of the cumulative impact analysis. Because ozone is excluded in the Article 10
law, we would suggest that the applicant utilize the ozone precursors of
volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen to assess equivalent
effects.